AOL releases search data on 500,000 users (updated)

The complete three-month search history of 500,000 AOL users was released by …

While most search engines offer researchers some access to their data (both Google and Microsoft do this, for instance), they also recognize that releasing the complete search history of 500,000 users from March to May of this year might pose certain privacy risks.

AOL did replace usernames with random numbers in a bid to protect privacy, but because each user's queries were given the same random number, it was simple to see a person's complete search history. And as AOL warned, sometimes such history isn't pretty. "Pornography is prevalent on the Web and unfiltered search engine logs contain queries by users who are looking for pornographic material. There are queries in this collection that use SEXUALLY EXPLICIT LANGUAGE. This collection of data is intended for use by mature adults who are not easily offended by the use of pornographic search terms. If you are offended by sexually explicit language you should not read through this data. Also be aware that in some states it may be illegal to expose a minor to this data."

Indeed. A copy of the data seen by Ars Technica revealed searches for things that had never even occurred to us in the Orbiting HQ (Jetsons porn?). Other sensitive data included medical questions like this one from April 18, "i smoke and have yellow toe nails what does it mean." While a gold mine for researchers, this is not the sort of data AOL users thought the service would be releasing. It also serves as a good reminder not to search for your own credit card number and Social Security number on the public Internet.

People are understandably going to be wary of using AOL after this, no matter how little it costs, but the bigger issue here is the lack of privacy most Americans have. Sensitive personal data like credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, and search histories are regularly leaked, hacked into, or stolen. While this is usually followed by public hand-wringing and apologies from the company or government agency involved, little seems to change. So long as companies do not violate their own Terms of Service, most are free to do as they wish with consumer data. AOL's recent release of information shows just why that can be dangerous.

Update

AOL has now cried "mea culpa!" and admitted that the data release should not have happened. "This was a screw-up, and we're angry and upset about it," the company said in a statement. No word yet on how this will affect AOL's new research division, whose web site is currently difficult to reach.